Ravioli is not a four letter word

I have a great summer Saturday routine. Wake up around 9, throw on some easy clothes, grab my grocery bags, and head out the door. I stop by the corner store for some fair trade coffee, then stroll through the farmers' market, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the best wares the Midwest has to offer.


This particular Saturday, a particularly vibrant vegetable caught my eye - and just like that, I knew what I was making for dinner.

*Note: You CAN make ravioli! Yes, you! Sure, there's a pasta-from-scratch way which can be spectacular when you have the time and patience - but there's no reason not to use this method and whip together some fresh ravioli on any given weeknight.


Cavolo e prosciutto ravioli in brodo
(Kale and prosciutto ravioli in broth)
Makes 12 raviolis


For the ravioli:
1/2 large bunch of kale - any variety will work; organic and local if possible! :)
4 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
4 thin slices prosciutto, thinly sliced into ribbons
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
24 wonton wrappers


For the brodo (1 serving):
1 1/2 c good quality homemade chicken stock (the thicker and richer, the better)


To prepare the kale, rinse it well and tear the leaves off of the stems - but do not cut or chop. In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, bring about two inches of water to a boil. Add the kale leaves, using a spoon to submerge them, and allow to blanch for about a minute. Drain the water and kale into a colander, and allow the kale to cool for a moment. Grab a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels and wring out the moisture, then stack the kale on a cutting board, chop, and add to a medium bowl.

To the bowl, add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, prosciutto ribbons, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Using a regular spoon, mix the ravioli filling together until well combined - and since there's no egg, feel free to taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

I like to use a cutting board as my 'staging area' for assemble the ravioli, with my egg wash (the 1 egg beaten with a little water, in a small bowl) one one side and the filling bowl on the other. Since wonton wrappers can dry out easily when exposed to air, keep a damp paper towel over the stack of them while you work. Lay out two wrappers side by side. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling to the center of one wonton wrapper - don't overfill! You don't want it to burst and come out during cooking. Using a pastry brush or your finger, outline each wrapper with some egg wash, then flip one of the wrappers onto the other, lining up the edges. Use your finger to get out any air bubbles, then use a fork to crimp the the edges closed all the way around. If you're not cooking your raviolis right away, you can layer then in a tupperware with parchment or wax paper, and store in the fridge for up to three days (or freezer for longer).

Sorry for the extra-poor image quality - my camera is broken at the moment, so these are phone pics!

To prepare the ravioli in brodo: In a large pot, skillet or saucepan, heat up your 1 1/2 cups chicken stock to a boil, and slide in the raviolis one at a time (about 6 per serving). Unlike when cooking pasta, when you use a large pot full of lots of liquid, in this case, it should be very shallow. The ravioli only take about 3 minutes to cook because the wonton wrappers are so thin, and cooking them shallow helps prevent them from breaking open. Gently remove the ravioli to a large, shallow bowl, and pour the brodo over them. Serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated black pepper and some more parm.

Europe in review, part two

All right folks, continuing on my European culinary journey, I left the Netherlands and headed for Germany. After a quick stop in Koln to visit an old family friend, we continued on to a wonderful little town on the Rhine called Bacharach.

After a steep hike to drop our bags off at the hostel (which was a legit CASTLE, by the way) and then another hike back down, we had worked up a big appetite for dinner.  We chose a little place on the main road that had a nice outdoor seating area, and proceeded to have our most memorable meal of the trip.

Europe in review, part one: A culinary adventure

After 2+ glorious weeks overseas, I'm now back in sweet home Chicago readjusting to reality. Laundry is done, pantry shelves are restocked, work emails have been answered, and pictures have been loaded and shared...except here!


My friend Kathleen and I were fearless in trying new things. We tried local specialties in every place we visited, and sought out historic eateries as well as less touristy places.


In our guilt-free vacation vortex, we ate and drank what we wanted, when we wanted - no guilt allowed :) Here are some highlights...


Allow me to kick things off with our first beer of the trip, a freshly poured Heineken in Amsterdam.

Bon voyage!

Just wanted to let you all know I'm taking a little trip...to Europe! Wooooooo!!! This trip has been a long time coming, and I'm so excited to eat and drink my way through Amsterdam, Germany and Prague.


Don't worry, when I get back I'll do a full post on some of my favorite meals, foods, beers, wines, restaurants, etc, complete with pictures. Have a great few weeks, everyone!

The easiest and Frenchiest weeknight dinner

I love the term 'a la marinière' - it just sounds so...French! What does it mean? Basically it refers to seafood (usually shellfish; especially mussels or 'moules') cooked mariner's style, with white wine and herbs. Katie P from Food Wine & Mod Podge and I have been taking a French gastronomy and culture class together at Loyola, and especially after seeing her recent post on mussels, I was inspired to grab some for myself and whip up a French-inspired 20-minute meal.

A note about buying mussels: I got mine at Whole Foods, and even though the fish guy picked them out himself, unfortunately he didn't do a great job - I had to get rid of almost half of them before cooking because the shells were cracked or they were open. So, lesson learned - next time I'll make sure that they look closer and I get my money's worth! :)

Fruits de Mer a la Marinière

olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups white wine (like sauvignon blanc)

1 tilapia fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 lb mussels, cleaned and de-bearded

2-3 T fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet (try 12"), heat a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Breathe in the delicious smell as they cook for several minutes, just starting to soften but not brown. Seriously, does anything smell as good as sauteeing onions and garlic? Add the white wine, and bring it to a rolling boil for about a minute. Lower the heat to a simmer, add the mussels and tilapia and cover the skillet. Wiggling occasionally (the covered skillet, that is), cook until all the mussels are open, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with parsley, and taste the broth, adding salt and pepper to taste. Discard any mussels that haven't opened. Spoon some mussels and tilapia into a wide bowl, and pour some broth over it. Serve with a hearty slice of toasted baguette, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Chili, take #35

Chili is one of those things that I've never made the same way twice. I have yet to find the 'perfect' recipe, and my favorite chilis I've eaten have been made by Potbelly's and my friend KP - and they're not giving up their recipes anytime soon.


I'm not even sure that this recipe counts as chili, because there are no chilis in it, and in fact not even many other veggies...but there are beans. Per a quick wikipedia search, it seems that 'chili' is merely a spicy stew - so I guess by that definition, this counts! (Though my version isn't even that spicy?) At any rate, I've been wanting to try out a black bean-sweet potato flavor combo for a while, and I had some ground turkey to use up as well - and considering Chicago's winter is getting its second wind, I felt like I needed a little something warm and comforting to counteract the still-dropping temperatures outside.


This chili is hearty, healthy, and full of aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, and even cinnamon - which goes perfectly in this recipe, and was a stroke of genius on my part at the last minute :)


First, you brown the meat, and get the veggies chopped and in the pot.

Then, you add the spices and let them really toast and coat all the ingredients with their delicious goodness for a few minutes.

Tomato sauce and black beans finish it off.

I actually kept it on the thick side this time so I could eat it with some rice, but adding just one 14-oz can of diced tomatoes next time will take this into soupier territory, perfect for dunking tortilla chips.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Turkey Chili


1 pkg ground turkey (about 1 1/3 lbs)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 large sweet potato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 t salt
2 T chili powder (this chili was NOT spicy...I might add more next time!)
1 T cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin seeds (optional)
1/2 t oregano
1 small can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c tomato sauce
2 T taco sauce or salsa (you can just add a little more tomato sauce if you don't have this)
pinch cinnamon


In a large dutch oven or stockpot, brown the ground turkey in a little olive oil over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes. When nearly cooked through, add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, and salt to the pot. Lowering the heat slightly to medium-low, add all the spices except for the cinnamon, stirring to coat all the meat and vegetables, and cook about 5-7 minutes until the veggies are just starting to get tender. Add the rinsed, drained black beans along with the tomato sauce and taco sauce, and stir to combine. Allow everything to simmer together and the flavors to merry over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the pinch of cinnamon and stir to incorporate. Serve over rice with some cheddar cheese on top.

Keen on quinoa

Have you heard about keenwah quinoa? It's another one of those foods that is actually ancient, but has lately been re-discovered and touted for its health benefits. Similar in size and texture to cous cous, it's cultivated in South America and is one of only a few plant-based sources that provides complete protein. I've had a box in my pantry for a while, and seeing recipe after recipe on the interwebs inspired me to cook up a few cups last week to keep in the fridge for breakfast (with oatmeal and milk) and any other great ideas that came along...like this one.


Paired with almost any fresh fruits/veggies and a little dose of dressing, quinoa becomes the perfect backdrop for a healthy and filling salad. I especially love this combination because the crunch from the radicchio and apples and the heartiness from the croutons make for a really nice texture!

Radicchio, Apple and Crouton Quinoa Salad


1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 pink lady apple, chopped
1/2 head of radicchio, shredded
handful of celery leaves, chopped
1/4 cup homemade multigrain croutons (cube bread, toast in oven with olive oil, salt and pepper till crunchy ~ 5 min)
1 T homemade vinaigrette (lemon juice, dijon mustard, pinch oregano, salt and pepper, extra virgin olive oil)


Cook your quinoa according to package directions, and add the cooked quinoa to a medium bowl. While the croutons are baking in the oven, chop up the apple and celery leaves and thinly slice the radicchio, then add to the quinoa bowl. Pull the croutons from the oven and add to the bowl, then toss everything together with 1 T of vinaigrette - or alternatively, dress simply with lemon juice/vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Because there's only 1 T of dressing in the whole salad, everything will stay nice and crisp (and not get limp and soggy) in the fridge, even for a few days - if you don't eat it first!